as in clowning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
their madcap buffoonery turned the duo into the nation's hottest comedy act
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Recent Examples of buffoonery
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.
—
Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 Aug. 2025
And Neeson’s lethal glare proves the jumping-off point for much skewed buffoonery.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 30 July 2025
Stewart’s switch from his usual snark to imitate Colbert’s buffoonery proved how spiteful and irreligious political humor has become since the left’s worship of Barack Obama and subsequent persecution of President Trump.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Leila Latif, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 Aug. 2025
And Neeson’s lethal glare proves the jumping-off point for much skewed buffoonery.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 30 July 2025
Stewart’s switch from his usual snark to imitate Colbert’s buffoonery proved how spiteful and irreligious political humor has become since the left’s worship of Barack Obama and subsequent persecution of President Trump.
—Armond White, National Review, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffoonery
Noun
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Yes, this is the modern clowning that all the thinkpieces are thinking about.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
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With an impressive ability to do accents and a background in clowning, Storrie is made for this.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
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The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Jazz are 15-35, which puts them at the sixth pick if zero lottery-ball tomfoolery happens.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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But enough of all that tomfoolery, because there is one person on the beach who knows exactly what is about to happen!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
Noun
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Those dousings also prompted outrage from police leaders — who decried it as an inexcusable sign of disrespect, and even suggested that officers willing to walk away from that kind of horseplay should consider another line of work.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Yet this is truly an ensemble show, in which each performer has multiple opportunities to shine, executing some splendidly silly bits together, such as delivering CPR to a sandwich or convincingly channeling their inner tots during some post-bedtime horseplay.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Lane didn't stop the foolery there, though.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
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The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2022
Noun
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One Battle After Another is an absurd epic for our absurd times, blending tense action with galvanizing politics, unexpected slapstick, and heartfelt family drama.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
7 Mar. 2026
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The beloved slapstick comedy is 85 minutes of pure entertainment, full of increasingly chaotic adventures and shockingly crass jokes that still produce guffaws decades later.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Fashion Week brings out a bit of playfulness in us all, and Oprah is not immune.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
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All the while, the company emphasized playfulness at the core of creation.—
Emma Madden,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buffoonery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffoonery. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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